Sunday, March 1, 2015

History of Hitler.

Early Years

Dictator Adolf Hitler was born in Branau am Inn, Austria, on April 20, 1889,
and was the fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. When
Hitler was 3 years old, the family moved from Austria to Germany. As a child,
Hitler clashed frequently with his father. Following the death of his younger
brother, Edmund, in 1900, he became detached and introverted. His father did
not approve of his interest in fine art rather than business. In addition to
art, Hitler showed an early interest in German nationalism, rejecting the
authority of Austria-Hungary. This nationalism would become the motivating
force of Hitler's life.

Alois died suddenly in 1903. Two years later, Adolf's mother allowed her son
to drop out of school. He moved to Vienna and worked as a casual laborer and a
watercolor painter. Hitler applied to the Academy of Fine Arts twice, and was
rejected both times. Out of money, he moved into a homeless shelter, where he
remained for several years. Hitler later pointed to these years as the time
when he first cultivated his anti-Semitism, though there is some debate about
this account.

At the outbreak of World War I, Hitler applied to serve in the German army.
He was accepted in August 1914, though he was still an Austrian citizen.
Although he spent much of his time away from the front lines, Hitler was
present at a number of significant battles and was wounded at the Somme. He was
decorated for bravery, receiving the Iron Cross First Class and the Black Wound
Badge.

Hitler became embittered over the collapse of the war effort. The experience
reinforced his passionate German patriotism, and he was shocked by Germany's
surrender in 1918. Like other German nationalists, he believed that the German
army had been betrayed by civilian leaders and Marxists. He found the Treaty of
Versailles degrading, particularly the demilitarization of the Rhineland and
the stipulation that Germany accept responsibility for starting the war.

After World War I, Hitler returned to Munich and continued to work for the
military as an intelligence officer. While monitoring the activities of the
German Workers’ Party (DAP), Hitler adopted many of the anti-Semitic,
nationalist and anti-Marxist ideas of DAP founder Anton Drexler. Drexler
invited Hitler to join the DAP, which he did in 1919.

To increase its appeal, the DAP changed its name to the Nationalsozialistische
Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP). Hitler personally designed the party
banner, featuring a swastika in a white circle on a red background. Hitler soon
gained notoriety for his vitriolic speeches against the Treaty of Versailles,
rival politicians, Marxists and Jews. In 1921, Hitler replaced Drexler as NSDAP
party chairman.

Hitler's vitriolic beer-hall speeches began attracting regular audiences.
Early followers included army captain Ernst Rohm, the head of the Nazi
paramilitary organization, the Sturmabteilung (SA), which protected meetings
and frequently attacked political opponents.

On November 8, 1923, Hitler and the SA stormed a public meeting of 3,000
people at a large beer hall in Munich. Hitler announced that the national
revolution had begun and declared the formation of a new government. After a
short struggle including 20 deaths, the coup, known as the "Beer Hall
Putsch," failed.

Hitler was arrested three days later and tried for high treason. He served a
year in prison, during which time he dictated most of the first volume of Mein
Kampf ("My Struggle") to his deputy, Rudolf Hess. The book laid
out Hitler's plans for transforming German society into one based on race.